A recent News Release from SGI revealed that Saskatchewan Police issued 1,290 distracted driving tickets in October, an all time high.
Breaking it down, 1,148 tickets were for cases relating to the use of a cell phone, and the remaining 142 tickets were for driving without due care and attention
The Government of Saskatchewan has since announced that distracted driving penalities will be increasing in February of 2020. The cost of a first time ticket will end up costing drivers $580 and four demerit points. A second offence within a year of the first will result in a $1,400 ticket, another four demerit points, and a week long vehicle seizure. A third offence will cost $2,100, four demerit points, and another seven-day vehicle seizure.
Another statistic from SGI shows that police are commonly giving out more than 900 distracted driving tickets every month since May.
Distracted driving remains a leading safety concern in the province. It was responsible for 22 fatalities, and 774 injuries in 2018.
Other tickets given out in October include 324 impaired driving offences, 387 tickets for improper seatbelt or child restraint use, and 6,583 tickets for speeding and aggressive driving.
These staggering numbers are a testament as to why the fines are set to increase in the new year, with penalities starting at $580, plus four demerit points.
Thu, May 2, 9:30 AM
